Robert Hughes cries: 'I am innocent'

For six weeks Robert Hughes had maintained a calm and deferential demeanour before the jury.

Even during the most volatile passages of cross examination, in which the prosecution repeatedly probed and poked at his denials with open scepticism, the 65-year-old former Hey Dad! star retained his composure.

But as the 12-member panel filed out of the windowless courtroom on Monday afternoon, the actor finally cracked.

"I am innocent!" he shouted, springing to the front of the dock as if he meant to leap into the body of the court.

Seconds earlier, the jury had unanimously found the actor guilty of nine charges, two counts of sexual assault and seven counts of indecent assault. It remained undecided on two counts of committing an indecent act.

The 65-year-old sat shaking his head and crying in the dock as the verdicts were read. He appeared to be saying ''no, no, no'' over and over. He then closed his eyes in anguish, tilting his head back.

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A number of the actor's victims who were present in the court hugged and cried as the verdicts were read.

Though the jury must return on Tuesday to consider the two remaining charges, having been told that a majority rather than a unanimous verdict would suffice, the nine guilty verdicts provided a measure of closure in the case.

It was a long time coming.

The rumours of Hughes' alleged molesting first emerged in 2010 when one of his alleged victims went on television and talked about incidents that had allegedly happened on the set of Hey Dad!.

It was another two years before charges were laid, with Hughes being extradited to Australia from London.

It had taken a further two years for Monday's verdicts to be reached.

The jury agreed that, between 1983 and 1991, the actor molested three girls aged between six or seven and 15. The remaining charges related to two other victims.

The trial heard that, in the case of two girls, Hughes came into the rooms where they were sleeping and sexually assaulted them as they lay terrified in bed. One recalled Hughes telling her ''good girl … here's your teddy'', before leaving the room. The other girl said the actor licked her face before leaving.

Another victim recalled a trip to Manly during which Mr Hughes forced her to swim through his legs while he exposed himself, then trapped her by closing his legs, preventing her from resurfacing.

The fourth victim was aged 15 when she was allegedly indecently assaulted by Hughes, who also allegedly attempted to maintain a relationship with her, sending her long-stemmed roses on her 16th birthday and telling her: ''I want you to find a place for us to go so we can have sex because I'm too old to be doing it in the bush.''

Then came the woman who worked with Hughes on Hey Dad!, who said he exposed his penis to her behind the set then allegedly groped her in his dressing room. The jury remained undecided on the charges relating to the latter two alleged victims.

The trial heard from multiple witnesses that Hughes' regularly and repeatedly exposed himself to young women.

A number of members of the TV show's wardrobe staff spoke of the actor's habit of napping naked in his dressing room, having instructed staff to come in and wake him up.

The jury rejected Hughes' claim that many of the allegations against him were the result of rampant rumours allegedly spread through a north shore private school that some of the complainants attended.

It did not accept Hughes' denials, which he made during an extended passage of testimony and cross examination, and which were in some cases corroborated by his partner Robyn Gardiner and his daughter Jessica Hughes.

In almost every case the retired actor also denied the circumstances surrounding the alleged incidents.

After the jury had left to consider the final two charges, Ms Gardiner walked over to the dock and clasped Hughes' hands. The couple spoke quietly for some minutes, each shedding tears before Ms Gardiner walked from the court and left the building via the rear exit.